Author's Note: I've seen a lot of really cool stories about old Aperture, and I thought I would try one myself.
1961
The bus sped through the field; tall, golden wheat flying by the windows. The country road was bumpy and uneven, and the bus clanked alarmingly. Jonathan stared out the window, then looked around at the other new 'lab boys'. After getting a Bachelor in Science and graduating from the top of his class, he had heard that Aperture was hiring. The application form was admittedly strange (it included questions such as, 'are you related to any government officials?', and 'do you enjoy the beach?'), but Jonathon was determined to work for the most esteemed science company in the nation.
After being accepted, he had driven to Idaho and gotten on the bus that he was on now. They had been driving for about two hours.
The radio came on. It was a clear and confident voice. "Cave Johnson here, and if you're on this bus it means one of two things. Either you're a bright young scientist looking for a future in this company, or you're a Black Mesa spy- in which case so help me God I will beat you like a harp seel. (here there was laughter) Anyway, have a good trip and remember, the future starts with you."
The driver laughed too. He turned around in his seat. "You guys are going to love Mr. Johnson."
The person sitting across from Jonathan leaned out into the aisle. "I heard that he got so rich off of the money he made selling shower curtains, is that true?"
"Yes sir. Aperture Shower Fixtures." said the driver.
The inquirer scoffed and sat back in his seat. A girl sitting in front of him seemed annoyed. She turned around. "I suppose it's hard for some people to understand how hard work can actually pay off."
"I wonder why there is only one girl on this bus." the boy replied.
The girl turned back around. "Maybe you scared them all off with your loud demeanor." The rest of the bus laughed.
Jonathan, who had been staring out the window, looked to see what was going on. The girl he had heard was thin, with dark bobbed hair. The boy he had heard was red.
Jonathan turned back to the window. He was still wondering if this had been a good choice. He had heard some interesting things about Aperture Science Innovators, and had seen some of there questionable products (among them, 'Aperture Brand Kinetic Axes' and 'Aperture Brand Protective Snake Rope'). However, they were also big military contractors, and had won several science awards. Jonathan had eventually been swayed by the promise of unlimited resources for research.
Finally, the bus arrived at it's destination. They had stopped in what seemed like the middle of the road, and to their right there was a small, shiny shack.
"Trust me, there are bigger entrances. This is just the closest." the driver said. He opened the bus doors, and the future employes filed out with their luggage. Johnathan picked up his two duffel bags, and stepped out into the bright sunlight. He blew a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes, and adjusted his tie. He told himself that he was sweating because of the heat. Yes. It was fairly warm out.
Once everyone was in the shack, the floor beneath them began to steadily sink. Cave's voice came over the radio again.
"Hello recruits! You are now only ten minutes away from your new home at Aperture Science Innovators. Now, we understand that long, dark elevator rides scare some people. So, we're going to play you some smooth jazz. If that's not enough, then you probably wouldn't be a great employe anyway."
Jonathan stood in the dark with the other future employes, and listened to the smooth jazz for ten minutes. When the elevator finally came to a grinding halt, a wide door in front of them opened up into a glass hallway. A chipper looking guide with a sharp suit and a clipboard smiled at them.
"Welcome to Aperture Science Innovators. Before you are shown to your rooms, I will be giving you a tour, and you will see just a little bit of what we do here." he said quickly. They began walking down the path, and small lights along the side suddenly lit up like a movie theater. Just as Jonathan was wondering why they were on in the middle of the day, the guide gave them his first fun fact.
"The lights on this path are not to improve visibility, they are part of a test to see if prolonged exposure to negative energy will melt shoe soles. If the sole of your shoe melts, please tell me and I will inform the lab."
"Has it ever worked?" asked a tall boy in the back.
The guide nodded. "Several times, yes." A boy next to Jonathan started to take his shoes off.
The guide laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. We don't want to start a test to see if negative energy will melt your ankles!"
As the group continued, they passed over a massive tank of water that contained several great white sharks. Beside the tank was an orange ramp. An athletic looking man in an orange jumpsuit was standing at it's base. He was carrying a box in one arm, and he waved to the group with the other. He started to run up the ramp.
What is he doing? thought Jonathan. He's just going to jump into a shark tank? Is this some kind of aquatic-combat test?
But, to Jonathan's astonishment, the man sped up as he went higher up the ramp, gaining enough momentum to sail over the tank onto a platform on the other side. The group gazed on in amazement.
"The test that you just witnessed contains propulsion gel, which is a unique substance capable of propeling an object at fifteen times it's normal speed and acceleration limits. It is being incorporated into new tests as we find more scientific uses for it."
"So this is a test for the gel, not the person?" someone asked.
"No." said the guide. "This is a shark-agility test."
The guide continued to point out strange scientific tests to them, and Jonathan began to feel more and more like Charlie in the chocolate factory. Jonathan felt like he was steadily learning that he knew even less about Aperture Science Innovators then he thought he did.
The guide stopped them in front of a room with white panels placed randomly on the walls. Up on a ledge was a large red button.
"Box and button testing is the most common scientific test that we perform here at Aperture Science Innovators. It involves testing a subject's ability to place a box on a button. Also, it generaly involves equipping test subjects with Portable Quantum Tunneling Devices."
Before anybody could ask what he was talking about, a test subject stepped into the room. He had on a large backpack with a thick, metal tube running out the side. The tube was connected to a gun-like object that he held in his hands. The man aimed at the floor, and pulled a large trigger that made a loud crick sound. An oblong, orange disc appeared. He shifted his aim at the ledge, where a blue hole appeared.
Jonathan was amazed, but also confused. The man stepped into the orange hole on the floor, and fell out of the blue one on the ledge.
The group erupted into questions and shouting. Jonathan wiped off his glasses with his sleeve.
"No, what you just saw was not a smudge on your glasses." said the guide, looking at Jonathan. "You have all just witnessed the single most revolutionary device in all of scientific history. The Portable Quantum Tunneling Device."
Jonathan felt that maybe he was a little bit out of his league. He had never done anything like this, and had never thought that anything like this was possible. Cave Johnson's voice interrupted Jonathan's doubts.
"I bet you kids are thinking, 'what the heck is this?' Or, 'how is this even possible?' Or, if you're a Black Mesa spy, 'how can I relay this information back to headquarters?' Well I've got answers for all three of those questions. Science. Science. Don't even think about it."